Wherever Love May Lead Us
by LadyErestor83
Summary: Elladan needs advice, so he goes to Erestor...but when Erestor needs advice, who will he go to?..Co-Written with CrackinAndProudOfIt...Non Slash...Elladan/OC, Erestor/OC...COMPLETED!
1. Chapter 1

Wherever Love May Lead Us

By:

CrackinAndProudOfIt and Erestor83

**A/N from CrackinAndProudOfIt: Hello, dear reader! I just wanted to let you know that this first chapter is by me, even though it's on Erestor83's account, since, as you doubtless read in the summary, we're co-writing this fic. What I'm meaning to say is: Don't blame Erestor83 if this chapter isn't to your liking! ;) I hope it is, though!**

"Can I ask you a question?" said Elladan to his brother, nocking another arrow and taking aim at the target with greater focus than he typically allotted to archery practice. "A highly, _highly_ hypothetical question springing purely from curiosity on my part and not at all from any, ah, _circumstances_ in my own life, that is," he added all-too-quickly.

"What kind of question?" Elrohir responded absentmindedly, making an even greater show of complete focus on his bow than his twin. "It wouldn't 'hypothetically' be concerned with your hypothetical relationship with a certain silver-haired healer's daughter, would it?" he teased.

"I just _told_ you it was hypothetical!" was Elladan's vehement reply as he let fly the arrow and watched it whiz straight into the bull's eye, "Completely and totally hypothetical!"

Elrohir sent his arrow after Elladan's and it landed beside it in the target's center, so close the feathers touched. "Just ask the question," he answered with an exasperated sigh, going to retrieve the arrows.

Elladan cleared his throat and as soon as his brother was a good distance away from the target drew forth and nocked another arrow, saying with a poor façade of nonchalance, "What do you do when there's something you really need to tell someone, or ask someone, but you don't know how to, and if you ask and they say no it could possibly wreak disaster on whatever semblance of a relationship you might have had before?" He released the bowstring; this time the arrow flew off into some nearby bushes.

"Hypothetically speaking?" Elrohir inquired suspiciously, raising an eyebrow as he handed the other adolescent his arrow. He continued, "If this were a hypothetical _romantic_ situation, then the first thing I would _not_ do is what you just did to me. 'Can I ask you a hypothetical question?' may get answers from me, but it isn't the way into a lady's heart, that much I know."

"Is that _all_ you know?" asked Elladan, frustrated. He had a strange sinking feeling that it was. How had he thought his twin would be of any help with this? He needed to talk to someone who actually had _more_ experience with _níssi _than he did, rather than less.

Meanwhile, Elrohir was answering him with amusement heavy in his voice. 'Ah, so you admit it's romantic! In that case, I would attempt the classical approach: pick some flowers, bake her something sweet, get down on your knees and sing a love song. At the next feast of course." Elrohir burst out laughing. "I'll help you pick it out!"

"You're hilarious," replied Elladan sarcastically, pulling his arrow out of a budding azalea and sticking it back in his quiver. "I'm done practicing for today." He began walking back into his father's house from the secluded courtyard where they had been training.

The large house seemed empty today, for Elladan saw no one on the way to his personal chambers, where, upon his arrival therein, he put his archery away in the closet before heading back down the stairs and through several bright hallways, purposefully avoiding the healers' quarters. Running into Isowen _today_ would be even more awkward and embarrassing than usual. Finally, he arrived outside the study of the only person he felt like talking to about his problem: Lord Erestor. Crossing his fingers that his father's advisor would be in a pleasant mood, he knocked.

**A/N: Reviews are very, very appreciated! ;)**


	2. Chapter 2

**note from Erestor83: sorry about the delay...**

CHAPTER 2

Erestor sat at a long table reading his book. At the knock of the door, he smiled. It would be Elithraniel, hopefully.

" Enter."

Erestor's smile somewhat faded at the sight of Elladan. No, it was not Elithraniel, but it was a shining face that he did not mind to see.

" Hello Elladan."

Elladan wrung his hands for a moment.

" Hello Erestor."

Erestor raised an eyebrow.

" What troubles you?"

Elladan swallowed hard.

" May I ask you a hypothetical question?"

Erestor smiled, then nodded. Elladan attempted to look at Erestor, but failed and ended up settling his eyes on the floor.

"What do you do when there's something you really need to tell someone, or ask someone, but you don't know how to, and if you ask and they say no it could possibly wreak disaster on whatever semblance of a relationship you might have had before?"

Erestor raised an eyebrow.

"Is this about Isowen?"

Elladan's eyes grew wide.

" No! Of course not. It is only hypothetical."

Erestor shook his head.

" Do not lie to me."

Elladan sighed.

" Fine. It may be Isowen."

Erestor smiled.

" Just tell her how you feel. If she is the kind soul I know her to be, she will listen and not judge."

Elladan smiled.

" Thank you Erestor!"

He hugged the Advisor and left the library, leaving the Advisor to seek advice of his own.

TBC...


	3. Chapter 3

Erestor ran his fingers through his long black hair in a sort of nervous gesture as he strode down the hall in the direction of Elrond's study. How ironic, he thought, that Elladan would ask for advice on that topic, today, of all days. Today, the day he had finally decided to see what Elrond thought about how, if, and when he should ask Elithraniel...That. The late afternoon sunlight was still pouring in through the windows, and it blinded him as he approached Elrond's office. Shading his eyes, he rapped on the door, to be instantly met with a curt "Who seeks my audience?"

Pursing his lips, Erestor cursed his timing under his breath; when Elrond responded like that, he knew it was not a good time for personal matters to be discussed. It was too late now to reverse his choice, though, so, clearing his throat, he replied meekly, "Erestor, my lord."

Elrond could not fully conceal the exasperated sigh that preceded his impressively composed, "Enter, please."

Erestor opened the thick wooden door and stepped into the spacious, book-lined study. Elrond's typically neat and tidy desk was today cluttered with maps, scrolls, and crumpled papers. Erestor had not the courage to ask what the project was and merely quietly obeyed Elrond's beckon to sit down across the desk from him.

"What brings you here today, Erestor?" Elrond folded his hands on top of the desk and leaned in politely. He had remarkable patience.

"To be honest, my lord, I am not sure this is a good time to address it, since you appear to be so busy... I can return tomorrow, if it will be better for you then," Erestor suggested nervously.

"Nonsense! If it is that important, then I certainly have time for it," Elrond replied kindly, "Now, what is this critical matter?"

"Well, my lord," Erestor hesitated a moment before diving straight to his point, "it is Elithraniel. I-I love her-"

Elrond interrupted him with a chuckle and "Well, we all can tell *that."

"And," Erestor continued, "I want to propose to her that we wed."

Though pithy, Elrond's reply was kind. "So why do you not?"

"Because, my lord, I do not know how to go about such a task. Becoming betrothed is...intimidating, to say the least. Do you even think she would desire to, though?"

"Ah, I think she would, certainly; she is probably only waiting upon you to ask! It is most definitely intimidating, though. Indeed, I had the worst time working up the courage to ask Celebrían. Have I ever told you the story?"

TBC...


	4. Chapter 4

**okay a flash back...hmmmm..**

CHAPTER 4

Erestor shook his head.

" You have not."

Elrond smiled.

*FLASHBACK*

_Elrond stood outside the talan that belonged to Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel. He could not think of what to say to them or how to ask for their daughter's hand in marriage. He walked backwards from the talan as though it suddenly frightened him to look at it. He took a deep breath and began to walk back towards it. He knew this was the hard part, asking the Lord and Lady for their daughter's hand. Asking the parents before the child was an old custom in Lorien and he wanted to uphold with that tradition. The next thing Elrond knew, he was at the door to the talan and knocking on it. The door opened to reveal Lord Celeborn. Celeborn smiled and allowed him in._

" _I know why you have come here Elrond. You need not have come."_

_Elrond swallowed hard._

" _Why is that my Lord?"_

_Celeborn smiled._

" _Galadriel and I know you wish to wed Celebrian and you have our blessing to do so."_

XXXX

_Elrond found Celebrian standing near the sacred pool of Lorien. He swallowed hard and tried to get himself under control, but it did not work._

" _Elrond?"_

_Elrond looked up and saw Celebrian looking at him with worry in her eyes._

" _Are you well?"_

_Elrond nodded and took Celebrian's hands into his own._

" _Celebrian, I...I..."_

_No matter what he did the words would not come out. Celebrian waited patiently for him to say what he wanted. Elrond finally took a deep breath and just asked the question._

" _Celebrian, will you pledge troth with me?"_

_Celebrian's eyes widened and she began to jump up and down._

" _Yes Elrond. I will pledge troth with you."_

*END FLASHBACK *

Erestor smiled.

" So in order to ask for her hand in betrothal, I must ask permission of a parent."

Elrond grinned.

" I wish you well."

Erestor raised an eyebrow.

" Why?"

Elrond chuckled.

" Because Elithraniel's father is also Lord Celeborn."

TBC...


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Isowen set down the book she had just finished, closing its fraying cover gently so as to keep the tattered pages from suffering any further damage. Though ancient, it had been a wonderful read: the best poetry she had seen in a long while. She glanced out the window and noted the westering sun; it was time for her to be leaving the library and getting back to her own quarters to prepare for her time helping her mother later this evening. She sighed: Reading was far more interesting than aiding the injured! Getting up from her comfortable seat at the long table in the centre of the empty library, she pushed her chair back underneath with a loud squeak against the oak floor that echoed in the cavernous room's silence.

Walking out the door and making her way through the seemingly endless corridors that made up the veritable labyrinth of Elrond's house, she at last found herself in her bedroom, which was located on the lowest level of the dwelling, adjacent to the large area wherein resided those in need of the healers' attention. Stepping over to the mirror and examining her reflection, she quickly plaited her waist-length silver hair into a braid at the nape of her neck. Glancing at her bed in the mirror while adjusting her hair, she spotted something on the bed that did not belong there: a folded piece of paper.

She whirled around and picked it up, rapidly unfolded it and read, written in handwriting she did not recognize, the following:

_Meet me in the rose garden at eight tonight. I have something important to tell you._

_-E._

"E?" Which "E"? Isowen knew four, no, five "E"'s , and she could not fathom why any of them would want to talk with her tonight. And in the rose garden, at that!

At any rate, she was working tonight at eight, so she could not just run off to meet the mysterious demands of someone who did even have the courtesy to sign their name! If only she knew which "E" it was, she would find them to decline the invitation in person, but there was now no time to seek out every "E" and ask if they had left her the note. Her mother would be expecting her soon.

Whoever "E" was, they were certainly not very bright!

TBC...


	6. Chapter 6

**I'm a little crunched on time...so lets see how far I get lol**

CHAPTER 6

Elithraniel threw away her fourth piece of parchment. She just could not get the missive correct. As many times as she had written missives to Lorien, she had never had this much trouble. Celebrian walked in suddenly.

" Elithraniel?"

Elithraniel nearly fell out of her chair.

" Celebrian, what is the meaning of this? You scared me half to death."

Celebrian shook her head.

" Even with your elven hearing, you still got scared?"

Elithraniel felt like telling her sister to shut up, but she kept silent on that matter.

" What is it?"

Celebrian smiled.

" Elladan is in love."

Elithraniel rolled her eyes.

" Yes I know. He is in love with Isowen."

Celebrian nodded.

" He is going to ask for her hand in courtship."

Elithraniel let out an irritated sigh.

" Then he will allow that courtship to span years if he is anything like his Uncle."

Celebrian laughed.

" Erestor? He still has not asked to pledge troth with you?"

Elithraniel shook her head.

" And I doubt he ever will."

TBC...


	7. Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7

Checking his appearance in the mirror on the back of his door one last time, Elladan smoothed down his hair and exited his bedroom. He scurried down the staircase just outside of it and began making his way toward the door leading to the secluded rose garden. His heart began to pound, his palms to grow sweaty, and his stomach to tie itself in knots as he drew nearer and nearer to the sole door leading into the courtyard. *How again did I convince myself to do this?* he thought nervously, *I cannot know whether or not she will accept, and what if she doesn't? But I have to know, one way or the other, how she feels. Nothing could be worse than this guessing and wondering.*

He had now reached the door, and he knew what he needed to do. Wiping his embarrassingly sweaty hands on his breeches, he took the doorknob, hesitated a moment, then turned it and stepped out into the garden, shutting the door behind him.

The courtyard's air was permeated by the heavenly fragrance of roses in bloom. The colourful assortment of roses, combined with the beautiful sunset that now painted the sky and peaceful bubbling of the garden's small brook, created a tranquil, romantic atmosphere. Elladan knew he had picked the best place in all of Imladris to ask Isowen to court him. He began to run through the little speech he had planned to say to her as he waited for her arrival.

Rosebush-shaped shadows danced across the vine-covered brick walls until the sinking sun disappeared below the horizon at last. A cool twilight fell upon the garden, and still Elladan paced up and down the length of the courtyard, reciting his question alone. *Where is she?* he wondered, *It isn't like her to completely ignore someone. This cannot be a good sign.*

Eärendil soon was sailing across the black night sky above Imladris, followed swiftly by additional stars. There was blue Helluin, red Borgil, and the bright Valacirca swinging across the sky with its seven stars. Isowen was nowhere to be seen. Elladan waited and waited until well past midnight, when the garden door finally opened, only for Elrohir to enter.

"She didn't come, did she?" he said quietly, slipping an arm about his twin's shoulders.

Elladan only shook his head.

"Come on, it is time you went upstairs and got some rest." Elrohir guided his brother out the door, leaving it swinging behind them in a gentle night breeze.

TBC...


	8. Chapter 8

**note from Erestor83: sorry this took so long...just got an idea lol**

CHAPTER 8

Erestor sat in his rooms. He had been pacing for the past few hours. He could not believe that Elrond had not told him that the Lord and Lady of Lorien would be arriving in a few short hours. He had found it out from Elithraniel. Erestor stood again and paced the floor once more.

" There will be a hole in the floor if you continue to pace mellon nin."

Erestor raised his head to see Glorfindel standing there, grinning at him. Erestor returned to his seat.

" I am nervous Glorfindel."

Glorfindel nodded, still grinning. 

" I know. Elrond told me."

Erestor let out an exasperated sigh.

" I do not know if I can do it."

Glorfindel sat beside Erestor.

" If Elrond could do it, so can you."

Erestor shook his head.

" But Elithraniel is the elder sibling. Father's tend to be protective of their firstborn."

Glorfindel thought on this for a moment, then chuckled.

" Well think of it this was Erestor: if Lord Celeborn says no, you could always get a cat."

TBC...


	9. Chapter 9

CHAPTER 9

Isowen might have known that her shift helping her mother would turn out like this. She found herself on her hands and knees holding a battered scrubbing brush with which she now cleaned the wooden floor after having finished every other task her mother could think of to assuage her boredom. It was hardly the fault of either of them, for fortunately there were not enough patients this evening to keep the healers at all busy, so Isowen's mother, assuming that her daughter would honour her commitment to working, had put her to the glorious task of cleaning the main chamber of healing.

Isowen had almost told her that, since there was nothing pressing in need of her assistance, she would need to leave at eight. She thought better of it, though, when she realized the barrage of questions that would surely follow her request. Even now, she could imagine the amused expression that would play upon Nenhíril's lips when she asked, "Why?" and was answered with, "I need to go see someone." When she discovered that Isowen did not even know the identity of this person and that the appointed meeting place was the rose garden, Nenhíril would have done one of two things: insist on accompanying her daughter or, the more likely, tease her mercilessly.

Needless to say, Isowen possessed a desire for neither of these alternatives, and "E" would be the one paying the consequences for it, she thought. She once again found herself wondering who this mysterious individual could be as she rhythmically scrubbed the oak boards of the floor: up the plank, back down it, and on to the next.

Eight o'clock came and went, and Isowen prayed "E" would not be offended by her absence. The floor veritably sparkled by the time she finished, shortly before ten, and was dismissed to her bedroom.

"Good night, Amil," she said, kissing her mother on the cheek before exiting the healing-rooms and heading toward her own bed-chamber nearby. It was a brief walk, but along the way she stopped dead in her tracks as she passed a certain hallway. At the end of it, she knew, was the modest door that opened into the rose garden. She almost made the turn, wanting to see if by some chance "E" was still out there, but she quickly rationalized away the idea. It was preposterous to think that someone would wait for her two hours in the dark; they had doubtless gone in hours ago.

Again, she almost turned when she realized she could read for several hours before going to sleep and could get something from the library. She talked herself out of that as well, for she had no lamp by which to read the spines. Besides, she thought, that empty library is rather eerie at night.

She returned, instead, straight to her room, changed into a light, more comfortable gown, and propped herself up in bed with the lamp on her little night-table lit and her leather-bound copy of the Narn-i-Hîn Húrin, her favourite tale of the Elder Days, in hand. The book had been a gift from Lord Elrond several years ago after his noticing her fascination with the tragedy and was now very well-worn.

She read and read, immersing herself in the familiar pages for hours, until sometime after midnight, when she heard a knock on her door. It startled her out of the epic past rather abruptly, and her tone was aggravated as she called, "Come in!"

Her mother entered the bedroom, looking as if she had just heard excitibg news and had run a long way to share it. "Isowen," she said, "Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel have just arrived from Lórien. I am helping Celebrían prepare a place for them and their folk to stay. Would you mind fetching Elladan and Elrohir to tell them their grandparents are here?"

"I'll do it right away," Isowen replied, earning "Hannon le!" from Nenhíril before she hurried off. Isowen's mind, however, was spinning, and inadvertently, a little knot of anxiety began to form in her stomach. She barely knew Elrond's sons, despite having grown up essentially in the same house as them, and the idea of walking up to them, or, like as not, waking them up, played with her nerves, perhaps disproportionately.

She had told her mother she would, though, so taking a deep breath she headed out to find them. Walking down the hall, she suddenly realized: "E"'s! She would have to ask if one of them had left the note.

TBC...


	10. Chapter 10

**I am soooo sorry that I am so late on this chapter...I'm surprised CrackinandProudOfIt hasn't beat me over the head lol...okay so this chapter is a conversation regarding Elithraniel and Erestor...**

CHAPTER 10

Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel were sitting in their rooms in Imladris. They had heard from Celebrian that Elithraniel was growing weary about Erestor ever asking her to marry him. Lord Celeborn seemed to be thinking on this as he leaned back on the couch, his wife mirroring his movement moments later, resting her head on his chest. Celeborn smiled and stroked her hair.

" Do you believe that Erestor will ever ask her?"

Galadriel sighed.

" If he fears us as Elrond once did, I do not think so."

Celeborn shook his head.

" Then he does not love her."

Galadriel raised her head and looked at her husband in shock.

" Celeborn." She gasped.

Celeborn shrugged.

" I speak the truth. If one cannot face the parents of the one he loves, then he must not love her."

Galadriel shook her head, becoming angry that Celeborn would feel this way.

" You never wanted them to court, did you?"

Celeborn looked away from his wife.

" No, I did not."

Galadriel's eyes widened, watching Celeborn stand and walk to the balcony. She stood and followed him.

" Then why did you give your consent?"

Celeborn stared off into the night as he spoke.

" Elithraniel would have never forgiven me had I said no."

Galadriel shook her head in disbelief.

" Was it all worth it Celeborn? We let both of our daughters leave Lothlorien to come to Imladris. Celebrian is wed, yet Elithraniel is not. Erestor has been courting Elithraniel since her third month in Imladris. Why would he court her if he did not love her?"

Celeborn lowered his eyes from the night sky.

" Pity."

"Pity?" Galadriel repeated the word, attempting not to lose her temper.

Celeborn nodded, anger on his face, then turned to his wife.

" Do you not find it strange that in all the times Erestor has been to Lorien, he has not once gone to Elithraniel? Only after Celebrian was wed did he come to us. "

Galadriel looked directly into her husband's eyes.

" Would you have their courtship broken?"

Celeborn did not speak for a moment, then looked pointedly at Galadriel.

"Yes."

With that final word, Celeborn left their rooms. Galadriel shook her head. What would she tell Elithraniel?

TBC...


	11. Chapter 11

The knock at the door did not wake Elrohir; for some strange reason, he had been devoting an unusual amount of thought and worry to the troubles of his twin. The blatant rudeness of Isowen was enough to keep anyone wondering, though. Elrohir hardly knew the elleth well, but he had spoken with her enough, if only in passing, to have developed the general opinion that she would never so cruelly ignore someone's request. Apparently, I was wrong, he had been thinking as he lay on his bed, arms folded behind his head, staring up at the ceiling in deep contemplation, as the rapping sounded at the door.

Startled out of his thoughts, "Come in," he called, irritated. The carved, oak door swung open silently, and into his chamber slipped the very last person he wanted to see: Isowen. Her silver hair was far from neat, slipping out of her long braid and framing her face or streaming loose down her back. She looked somewhat tired, and somewhat nervous, if the constant fidgeting of her hands with her hair and sleeves and the way her eyes seemed fixed on the floor were any proof of the latter.

"What are you doing here?" he queried with an uncharacteristic sharpness.

She met his eyes, still twisting a strand of hair around her finger, and answered almost inaudibly, "I was sent to tell you that your grandparents are here and to take you to them."

Elrohir could not decide what surprised him more: the fact that Celeborn and Galadriel had randomly decided to make an appearance, or the fact that Isowen had not come about the note. This confusion was expressed in the spluttered response of, "So you haven't-Why are they-? How could you-? Where-?"

Isowen appeared to be amused, and a quiet smile crept onto her features. "One question at a time!" she replied, before an expression of surprise and realization dominated her visage. "Ohh..." she said, "I'm so sorry I couldn't meet you tonight; I was working. What was it that you wanted to see me about?"

The next moment of sudden revelation belonged to Elrohir; why had he and Elladan not considered the possibility that she was legitimately busy? All thoughts of her as spiteful and rude were banished from his mind as he noted the sincerity in her voice as she apologized. But she had her assumption quite wrong.

"Umm," he responded awkwardly, "It's...all right... And it wasn't me, it was Elladan."

"Oh," said Isowen.

"I tried to tell him that the initial was a bad idea," Elrohir added, "but he thought it was more romantic that way." He instantly clapped a hand over his mouth, mentally apologizing to his brother.

"What?" said Isowen, too shocked for mincing of words.

Elrohir inhaled sharply and removed the hand, wincing just a little as he smiled sheepishly and said, "Come on, I should let him explain." He arose from the bed and what was now a sitting position and walked ahead of Isowen out the door toward Elladan's room next door.

Elrohir's twin was apparently sleepless as well, for an agitated "Come in," was heard from within at Isowen's knock. The twosome stepped in, only to see Elladan, in the exact position his brother had been found in, on his own bed, folded arms, eyes on the ceiling, and all. For Isowen, it was like deja vu.

"What are you doing here?" he queried with an uncharacteristic sharpness.

TBC...


	12. Chapter 12

**back to Elithraniel and Erestor lol...**

CHAPTER 12

Erestor watched as Elithraniel paced the room.

" What ails you meleth nin?" Erestor asked, his voice full of concern.

Elithraniel did not stop her pacing.

" I overheard Ada and Naneth. They were in an argument over us."

Erestor shook his head.

" Why? Did we do something to displease them?"

Elithraniel stopped pacing, looking at her beloved.

" Not we, Erestor. You."

Erestor's eyes darkened in anger.

" What did I do?"

Elithraniel turned her back to him.

" My Ada says he never wanted us to court and thinks you are only courting me out of pity."

Erestor stood suddenly, his rage filled eyes focused on Elithraniel.

" You do not believe that, do you?"

Elithraniel faced Erestor, her eyes filled with rage as well.

" If it is not so, why have you not asked for my hand in betrothal?"

Erestor crossed his arms across his chest.

" I was going to ask your Ada for permission."

Elithraniel let out an exasperated sigh.

" You have had many chances Erestor. When we have gone to Lorien, you never asked and we have been there thrice this year alone. They have come to Imladris many times and you have never asked. Tell me, what makes this time any different?"

Erestor could not think of any explanation in his anger. He stepped closer to Elithraniel.

" If you agree with your Ada," Erestor said, still angry at Elithraniel. "Perhaps when he leaves for Lorien, you should go too."

Elithraniel shoved Erestor away from her.

" I will, and I am sure I will find a better elf. One who my Ada will like and who will love me instead of pity me."

Erestor watched in shock as Elithraniel left the room. What had he done?

TBC...


	13. Chapter 13

**note from Erestor83: sorry it took so long to get this chapter up..I was on vacation...this chapter of course is by my good friend CRACKERS lol**

CHAPTER 13

Isowen had no response to give. She stood there rather dumbly for a moment that was just long enough to be awkward, watching Elladan's face redden and feeling her own do likewise.

"Now you come?" said Elladan in a quiet, sad tone attempting to be angry. "You couldn't have found me before to at least say you aren't interested?"

She opened her mouth and began to stammer something of an answer, to no avail. "I- I- I didn't..."

Elrohir, however, swiftly came to her rescue with the words, "She's exactly right: she didn't know it was you- all because of your stupid 'initial' idea- so she /couldn't/ have told you that she had to help her mother and would be able to meet you some other time."

Elladan blushed more deeply, muttering something along the lines of "oh," while Isowen looked on, nodding emphatically in agreement with Elrohir. An uncomfortable silence once again made itself ever-so-briefly at home between the threesome before Elladan, regaining composure, turned to his brother. This time the anger in his tone was un-pretended as he said, "Then what is she doing here now?" He paused for a second ere a look of realization crossed his features, immediately followed by one of fury. "You didn't-"

"No, of course not!" replied Elrohir. "She came to me!"

"To you?" was Elladan's incredulous response, dark eyebrows ascending in disbelief as he gave it.

Isowen swallowed, pursing her lips, then slightly wincing, before asserting with surprising coherence, "For a very good reason! I was sent to tell you two that your grandparents have just arrived and that you're to go downstairs and greet them."

Elladan grimaced, shooting his twin a glance as if to say, "Really? Now?" Elrohir's countenance acquired a similar expression as if to reply, "Sad but true." With a great sigh, Elladan rose reluctantly from the bed, joining his brother and Isowen by the door. Without enthusiasm, he flatly stated, "Let's go."

The three young elves were soon walking down the dim hallway. The mounted lamps scattered along the walls held flames that cast their moving shadows dancing across the hall. They had traveled but a few paces when Isowen conjured up the nerve to ask the note's true author the question pressing upon her mind. "Elladan," she said, voice full of genuine curiosity, "why is it that you wanted me to meet you, anyway?"

He gave no reply, instead cutting his eyes at his brother somewhat helplessly. Elrohir shrugged; it was hardly his fault that the environment for the question was hardly ideal. Elladan swallowed hard, stopping in his tracks and meeting Isowen's eyes in a fashion asking her to do the same.

Elrohir, taking the hint, continued down the corridor. Elladan gulped again. "Isowen," he said nervously, "I- I really- No, well, I've..." He faltered, trailing off awkwardly. He had prepared the speech for hours beforehand, but now, after the lengthy interval and adding in the swapped circumstances, the eloquent wording had fled his mind.

"Yes?" asked Isowen kindly, trying to smother a giggle at his stammering.

He inhaled deeply and managed to spit out, "Isowenwillyoucourtme?"

TBC...


	14. Chapter 14

**okay so I totally screwed up here...I was supposed to write Isowen/Elladan and ended up writing Elithraniel and Celeborn...SORRY CRACKERS!**

CHAPTER 14

Elithraniel walked through the gardens. That damned elf! Who did he think he was? She could not believe that he would try to weasel his way out. Perhaps he was truly into males. Elithraniel nearly laughed hysterically at that thought. Erestor was not that kind of elf. Elithraniel was so lost in thought that she didn't see the elf in front of her and ran into him. She gasped.

" Ada, I am sorry."

Celeborn nodded, then sat on a nearby bench, gesturing for Elithraniel to join him.

" Elithraniel, about Erestor.."

Elithraniel held up her hand.

" I overheard you speaking with Naneth. I know what you think of him Ada and I think I understand."

Celeborn took a deep breath.

" I am sorry my daughter, but Erestor is not the right elf for you. Now Haldir on the other hand..."

Elithraniel began to laugh.

"Haldir?"

Celeborn joined her in her laughter. Elithraniel and Haldir would be a worse pair, only because they had never gotten along. Even if her Ada was serious, she could never have Haldir. In her heart, she knew she would always love Erestor. Elithraniel stood.

" Ada, I know you do not approve of Erestor, but I love him. Saes, do not make me leave him."

Celeborn lowered his head as though he were deep in thought, then returned his gaze to Elithraniel. There was sorrow in his eyes.

" I am sorry pen-neth, but I must."

TBC...


	15. Chapter 15

**quick note from Lady Erestor: yes this is Crackers chapter, but I just wanted to let everyone know that chapter 16 will also be up today :)**

**ENJOY CRACKERS'S CHAPTER!**

CHAPTER 15

"Elrohir!" The elf in question skidded to a stop just before crashing into none other than his dear mother. "What on earth is taking the two of you so long to get down here and greet your grandparents?" Celebrían scolded. "Nenhíril must have sent her daughter over for you twenty minutes ago; this house is not that large! Your grandparents have already settled in their rooms, and your grandfather gone out to the garden!"

Elrohir tried (and for once succeeded) to hide a snicker. His mother had the amusing tendency to talk quite a bit- and in long streams, of which the above is an understated sample- when she was flustered, anxious, or a nasty combination of the pair. These, unfortunately, happened to be the times thar she was also least likely to find the humour in her rambling. He managed to mutter, however, "We were just on our way, Amil," suddenly seeming to find the intricate markings of the floor's oak planks immensely fascinating.

Celebrían let out an irritated huff of breath. "Then, where is Elladan?" she inquired pointedly, letting the question simmer between them for a moment.

Elrohir knew that any answer he gave would more than likely lead to a slow, painful and gruesome figurative death at the hands of either his twin or his mother. Celebrían, however, with hands on hips and lips pursed, bent forward imploringly, seemed at the moment the more threatening of the two.

"He's back there," Elrohir murmured, pointing behind him. As Celebrían's eyebrows lifted in a nonverbal query for more information, he added reluctantly, "Talking to Isowen."

Celebrían sighed and made as if to walk around Elrohir and retrieve his brother herself. "Wait!" he exclaimed, hopping forth from his position along the wall to block her way. As if things weren't already awkward enough between Isowen and Elladan, he knew that adding his mother to their already questionable mix would only make things worse. "I'll go get him," he said. "You can go back out to... your parents."

"How many times do I have to tell you not to call them that?" responded his mother. "At any rate: no. I will retrieve him myself; if I know the two of you, you'll somehow manage never to make it out to greet them. You need to go ahead on your own; I daresay you two can be apart for just a few minutes!"

"But-" Elrohir hastily protested.

"No 'but's," said Celebrían, voice stern. "Go out to see your grandparents: Now. As I said, your grandfather is in the main courtyard with Elithraniel. Go."

"Can't I just wait on-" He tried again.

"Now." And failed.

With a nod, Elrohir began to make his begrudging way down the narrow corridor, the full length of which remained aglow with the orange light of lamps and torches mounted on the walls. His dragging feet made hardly any sound against the floor.

Slowly but surely, though, with the dread of his rigid and somewhat intimidating grandparents heavy upon his mind, he found his way- after a share of familiar twists and turns- to the glass double-doors leading out into the elegant garden. From here, he could spot the moonlight at play in a small waterfall and the rushing brook flowing out of it. The two figures he had been told to locate crossed in front of the hydraulic display, the argent rays showing their faces to be melancholy of expression. His aunt Elithraniel looked as though on the verge of tears.

Suddenly, Celeborn looked up from his daughter's hands, which, clutched in his own, had been the sole focus of his gaze. Noticing Elrohir's standing conspicuously on the other side of the doors, he beckoned his grandson to join them.


	16. Chapter 16

**PEEK-A-BOO I see you lol...ahem sorry...**

CHAPTER 16

Elrohir allowed his eyes to look from his aunt to his grandfather.

"Ata'da, is something amiss?"

Celeborn let go of Elithraniel's hands, hoping she would stay.

" Yes Elrohir, something is amiss."

It took Elrohir a moment to realize it was Elithraniel speaking. Elrohir swallowed hard, knowing he should not ask.

" What is wrong Aunt Elithraniel?"

Elithraniel glared at the Lord of Lorien.

" Your Ata'da want to keep me from Erestor."

Elrohir's eyes widened, but not out of shock. No one in their right mind would ever glare at his grandfather. Elrohir had known about Celeborn's distaste for Erestor since his last trip to Lorien.

" I know."

Elithraniel turned to glare at her sister's son.

" Why did you not tell me Elrohir?"

Elrohir lowered his head, not responding. Celeborn shook his head at his daughter.

" Elithraniel, Erestor is not the right elf for you. You have many differences."

Elithraniel raised an eyebrow.

"Such as?"

Celeborn crossed his arms across his chest.

" You are born of noble blood and Erestor is not. "

Elithraniel shook her head.

" Is that all?"

"Elithraniel," Celeborn said sternly," Do not test me. There are many things that make you an unlikely pair. So I have decided..."

"Decided what?" Elithraniel interrupted.

Celeborn stepped closer to his daughter.

" You will return to Lorien."

Elithraniel scoffed.

"And if I do not?"

Celeborn glared at her, trying to calm his temper.

" You will go! You have no say in the matter!"

Elithraniel looked at Elrohir, then back at Celeborn.

" I guess I should go pack my things then..."

Elithraniel began to walk away, letting the sentence hang. Suddenly, she stopped and turned.

" Lord Celeborn." She finally finished, her voice dripping with malice.

TBC...


	17. Chapter 17

**note from LadyErestor83: this is crackers chapter...as for the next chapter, it will not be up until next week...**

CHAPTER 17

Elladan's heart was still pounding as an awkward silence followed his spat-out inquiry. The expression on Isowen's face was mostly unreadable, but a mixture of confusion and surprise was almost suggested. He glanced down at his feet, then back up at the elleth, smiling nervously.

"Elrohir, I-" Here she paused, appearing to be struck speechless. Elladan opened his mouth to correct her mistake in names, but she continued before he was able. I know enough about females, he thought, at least to know better than to interrupt. It would simply have to wait. "I don't know how to answer you," she was saying. "I feel like we- er, I mean, we hardly know each other..."

Elladan tried a winsome smile. "Then why shouldn't we get to doing so?"

Isowen let out a short laugh, as she did so examining the pleading features of the elf before her. He is handsome, I suppose, she thought, and I really should find this all rather flattering- but, how can I agree to court someone I barely know? Thoroughly contemplating her response, she did not realize that her temporary hesitation was taken the wrong way.

Elladan's face fell, and though it was difficult to tell in the torchlight, he appeared to blush. "I'm sorry," he said quietly, "I shouldn't have been so-"

"No, no!" exclaimed Isowen, without thinking, placing a hand briefly on his shoulder. "I would like to.. get to know you... I'm just unsure that a 'courtship' is the way to do so at first."

Elladan forced a grin onto his face. This was not quite the response he had desired, but it was certainly a valid starting point. He almost responded, but was silenced by the sound of hurried footsteps barreling down the hallway. He turned around, only to see Celebrían rounding the corner. A puzzled expression crossed her visage, but it was swiftly replaced by one of annoyance as she came to stand directly beside the two young elves. She noted with interest the location of Isowen's hand.

"What are you doing, Elladan?" his mother demanded. "You know very well that your grandparents are waiting to see you! Now is most assuredly not the time for flirting; now, off you go to the garden." She pointed down the corridor into which Elrohir had just made his journey.

Elladan's reddening no longer be mistaken for a trick of the lights. "See you later?" he said to Isowen timidly, turning to face the elleth once more. Isowen nodded in reply, lifting the corners of her lips ever so slightly as she did so. Butterflies suddenly took wing in the pit of his stomach at the sight.

"Hurry!" said Celebrían, and the hand she placed on her son's shoulder was not as gentle as Isowen's. It turned him about and guided him forcefully down the hall and out of Isowen's sight.

Mother and son walked down the first corridor without speaking. When they made a turn, however, and Isowen was assuredly out of earshot, Celebrían smirked, saying, "I'm not even in the mood to ask."

TBC...


	18. Chapter 18

**note from LadyErestor83: I am soooo sorry about being sooo late with this chapter *dodges flying objects...catches a flying Erestor***

**LadyErestor: What the?**

**Erestor: Thank you...**

**LadyErestor: Okay, who threw the elf?**

**Celeborn: I did...**

**LadyErestor: meanie...**

CHAPTER 18

Celebrian walked with Elladan toward the gardens. Celebrian noticed her sister angrily walking toward her rooms. Celebrian turned to Elladan.

" Go to your Ata'da. I will be along shortly."

Elladan nodded and walked away. Celebrian approached her sister.

"Elithraniel, what troubles you?"

Elithraniel glared at her younger sister.

" YOUR Ada is ruining my life."

Celebrian's eyes widened. When had Celeborn become only her Ada?

" What did Ada do?"

Elithraniel rolled her eyes.

" He is making me return to Lorien to keep me from Erestor."

Celebrian gasped.

"But...but why?"

Elithraniel crossed her arms across her chest in a very Erestor-like manner.

" ' You are born of noble blood and Erestor is not.' " Elithraniel said, mimicking their Ada.

Celebrian shook her head.

" You will not go to Lorien and you will not leave Erestor. I will get Elrond and Naneth. We will go to Ada and sort this out. My sister will not fade because Ada wants to act as though there is a stick in his backside."

TBC...

**how is it?**


	19. Chapter 19

CHAPTER 19

Elithraniel had never felt more relieved than when she heard the confidence in Celebrнan's voice as her younger sister promised to play a part in persuading their father of Erestor's quality. It was quite comforting to see the typically subdued nнs so empassioned about fixing this situation for the two lovers.

"Thank you," said Elithraniel earnestly, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "But I don't think I would advise just... going out and telling him off." She let escape a slight laugh, hollow and brief.

"I wouldn't dream of it," replied Celebrнan. "We both know that would do much more harm than good!" She paused, appearing to weigh additional options before speaking the one name that, with its bearer's position, would offer hope for her sister. "Mother," she said, smiling in spite of herself.

Elithraniel nodded emphatically, returning her sister's grin as Celebrнan took her gently by the arm and led her down an adjacent hallway in the direction of Galadriel and Celeborn's guest room, where the Lady of Lorien was sure to be found. She sighed, rubbing her eyes; the hour was late, and she was exhausted, but some things simply could not wait.

In a short while, the sisters found themselves knocking on the door of the guest quarters reserved for Galadriel and Celeborn. "Amil?" said Elithraniel meekly, but with enough volume to be heard by her mother.

"Come in, dear," could be heard as reply, and Galadriel's eldest stretched out her hand, turned the doorknob, and ushered Celebrнan inside before following her sister.

Two lamps on tables at either side of the room's central bed lit the chamber and illuminated the form of a white-clad Galadriel sitting placidly at the bed's foot. She rose smiling, though, to embrace each of her daughters.

After beckoning them sit down across from her in a parlour-zone of the bedroom, Galadriel asked, "What troubles you, my daughters? You give yourselves away; all is not well."

Elithraniel sighed, for somd reason having suddenly to swallow back tears. "Ada," she said flatly. "Ada will not allow me to wed Erestor."

TBC...


	20. Chapter 20

**hiya again...you know, for this being an Erestor fic, I have notcied he just kind of pops around lol...so maybe I'll bring him in...you never know lol...**

CHAPTER 20

Galadriel looked at Elithraniel, lowering her gaze for a moment.

" How do you know this?"

Elithraniel swallowed hard.

"First I overheard you and Ada's arguement and then he told me himself."

Celebrian shook her head.

" Naneth, is it not her decision? She is a grown ellith and does not need approval or permission."

Galadriel nodded at both of her daughters, then refocused her eyes on Elithraniel.

" Do you love Erestor, my daughter?"

Elithraniel nodded.

"Yes, very much. When I heard the argument earlier, I jumped to conclusions and was harsh in my words to Erestor. I need to find him and make it right."

Galadriel smiled at her eldest daughter. Celebrian bit her lip for a moment.

"What about Ada and his wanting you to return to Lorien?"

Galadriel's eyes widened.

"What?"

Elithraniel shrugged.

"Ada wants me to return to Lorien, but I will not. All I want to do is find Erestor."

Galadriel nodded.

" Then go, my child."

Without another word, Elithraniel ran out of the room.

XXXXXXXX

Erestor sat at his desk attempting to get some work done, but everytime he did, his mind wandered to Elithraniel. What kind of elf was he? He loved the daughter of Celeborn more than anything in Arda, but what she said was true. He had every opportunity to ask Lord Celeborn for his daughter's hand, but had not. Did that mean he no longer loved her? Erestor shook that thought from his mind. As he lowered his head to do more of his work, he heard the door to his private study open. He stood up, angered that someone had barged in.

"What is the meaning of..."

He noticed it was Elithraniel standing before him and before he could say anything more, she kissed him. He wrapped his arms around her, both of them melting into the kiss. When their lips parted, they gazed lovingly into each others eyes. At that moment, Elithraniel did not care what her Ada thought of Erestor.

" I love you, Erestor nin."

Erestor smiled.

" And I love you Elithraniel. For always."

TBC...


	21. Chapter 21

**Oh, and here's the next chapter, btw! Sorry it's so late! :O (Tell the readers I said that, too, could you? :)**

CHAPTER 21

Celeborn, left alone with his grandsons, heaved an annoyed sigh. Shortly after Elithraniel had decided to bring Elrohir into their debate over her relationship, an uninformed Elladan had chosen to make his appearance. Celeborn really did love his grandsons, but now was not exactly the most favourable time for their boisterous adolescent antics.

It was not difficult to tell that the peredhil had only recently found their way out of bed- regardless of whether or not said item of furniture had brought them any rest, or how long they had been about since their arising. Their bloodshot eyes revealed an impressive lack of sleep, and Celeborn was relieved to see that their clear tiredness would provide a glowing excuse to soon dismiss them back to their bedrooms, and then take some rest himself. It had been a long and trying day.

Obligated, he found himself taking a step towards the young elves, his right hand extended to be shaken in turns. Elladan had just arrived, and, after all, Elithraniel's using him had hardly given Elrohir the opportunity for a proper greeting.

"Mae govannen, Ata'da," said Elrohir.

To Celeborn's ears, the salutation was very- well, stiff. When last he had seen his grandsons, they had been little older- and not a bit more mature- than toddlers, rambunctious, outgoing, and never seeming to meet a stranger. They had driven him positively mad, and his infuriated yells to them for silence did not seem to have been kindly remembered. Even Elladan, who had not heard the news about Elithraniel, seemed put off by him.

"Mae govannen," muttered Elrohir, taking Celeborn's hand, as his twin had done, without even meeting his grandfather's eyes. Well met? He did not mean a word of it.

Celeborn quickly dropped his hand, looking back and forth between the twins somewhat unconfortably. But, having no intentions of bringing up his elder daughter's love life, he said, "So what have you boys been up to lately? Besides growing, that is." He tried his best to smile teasingly.

"Ha," said Elladan, nudging his brother, who was still staring at the ground.

Elrohir's reaction was slightly delayed; an awkward moment of silence passed before Elladan's signal registered with him. "Oh," he said slowly, "ha."

Continuing, to answer Celeborn's question, apparently, Elladan spoke up. "Not very much, Ata'da- just archery and our studies."

"But those are noble pursuits, nonetheless," said Celeborn, in hopes of sounding approving.

"Thank you," replied Elladan, adding politely, "And how was your journey to Imladris?"

"Uneventful," responded Celeborn, "but still quite tiring. It's time that I am off to bed, and it looks as though the two of you should be as well. I hope our arrival did not wake you."

"It didn't," said Elrohir, glancing for the first time up at his grandfather before hastily turning to enter the house once more. "Good night, Ata'da," chorused the twins lackadaisically.

Celeborn bid his grandsons the same and headed for an alternate door- this leading directly into his and Galadriel's quarters- as soon as they had disappeared into the shadows of the corridor. Without even bothering to begin unpacking, he found nightclothes among the luggage scattered across the wooden floor, and donned them. He then slipped immediately into bed, snuffing out a pair of candles burning on the nightstand as the chamber's only source of light.

Who knows what tomorrow will bring? he thought, and drifted thence into the realm of Irmo, undisturbed until dawn.

TBC...


	22. Chapter 22

**this chapter will be set the next morning...**

CHAPTER 22

Celeborn sat up in his bed, expecting to see his wife waiting for him to get out of bed. He was shocked, however, when he recognized the ellith sitting in the chair near his bed.

"Celebrian?"

Celebrian watched her Ada stand and grab his sleep robe. Celeborn crossed his arms across his chest.

" What are you doing here?"

Celebrian copied her Ada's movement.

" I am here on behalf of Elithraniel."

Celeborn scoffed and began to walk away. Celebrian shook her head.

" You cannot part her from Erestor Ada. She will resent you."

Celeborn stopped, turning to face Celebrian.

" She already does."

Celebrian rolled her eyes out of anger.

" It is because you are making her miserable Ada. She wants to make you happy with her, but you never are. Did you know when we played as elfings she always pretended her Ada was someone else? It is because nothing she did was ever good enough. Not good enough for you or good enough for Lorien."

Celeborn glared at Celebrian.

"I will not be spoken to in such a manner. Especially not by my own daughter."

Celebrian was about to respond, but another voice broke in before she could.

" She is right Ada."

Celeborn turned to face Elithraniel. Celebrian stood beside her sister, hoping Celeborn would understand. Elithraniel took a step toward their Ada.

" If I am to be forced to go to Lorien, I will resent you, more than I already do. I love Erestor and nothing you can do will change that."

Celeborn had had enough. He stepped closer to Elithraniel, looking her in the eye.

" I will not give him permission to wed you. You are my daughter, Elithraniel and I will not see you destroyed."

Elithraniel glared at him.

" I wish not to be your daughter! I wish Naneth had wed someone else."

With those words, Elithraniel and Celebrian left Celeborn standing there speechless.

TBC...


	23. Chapter 23

CHAPTER 23

Isowen munched happily on a breakfast-apple, savouring the crunch of its peel between her teeth almost as much as the sweetness of its juice and partially-pink flesh. It was a beautiful late-spring morning; Vása shone cheerfully in through long windows in the passage from the kitchens to the healers' quarters, but Isowen could not help but wish away their existence. It would be so much lovelier if she were walking outside.

"But not today," she said to herself. The words were somewhat bittersweet: On the one hand the girl was somewhat jealous of her mother and the other healers' having left to seek out herbs in the forest, but on the other she was delighted and honoured to be left in sole charge of the (admittedly vacant) wing.

From one of the halls along its side, a pair of ellyth suddenly emerged into the sunlit passage. Isowen recognized them as Celebrían and Elithraniel. "Good morning, my ladies," she said politely, preparing to pass them as they went in the direction opposite her own.

Strangely, though, they stopped in their tracks, and cast a conspiratorial look at one another. "Good morning, Isowen!" said Celebrían with a smile, beckoning her pause and speak with them with a motion of hand. "Do you know where your mother is at? We have just looked for her in your quarters and were heading down to check the butteries next."

"I'm sorry, my lady," replied Isowen, bowing her head for but a second. "She left with Daelen and Dhiniel early this morning to gather herbs, so I am in for everyone today." Immediately grimacing at the realization of the usual reason anyone sought for her mother, she quickly added, "Is someone injured?"

Elithraniel spoke up, eyes sparkling with amusement. "Not really," she answered enigmatically. Seeing the young healer's quizzical glance toward her sister, she elaborated, "You see, Isowen, I need to be, for I fear a bodily injury will be the only thing that could keep Lord Celeborn from forcing me to go with his people to Lórien when they return there."

"Forcing you?" Isowen queried, instantly blushing for the curtness of her reply.

"Lord Celeborn," explained Celebrían, "is, for base and idiotic reasons, opposed to Elithraniel's wedding Erestor, and has demanded she forever depart for Lórien as soon as their party makes to do so. In the Lord's volatile state, we cannot predict when that day will be, so we are preparing ahead of time for Elithraniel's refusal."

The Lord? thought Isowen. Is he not their father? She surmised that this must be part of the sisters' protest against the very man. Having always been fond, though never more than an acquaintance to, the two women, and Lord Erestor as well, she replied, smiling, "And you need the help of a healer in doing this?"

"We could scarcely do it without one, dear," affirmed Elithraniel.

"What is that you need?" inquired Isowen.

"A broken ankle bandaged; I fear I took a nasty tumble down the stairs."

TBC...


	24. Chapter 24

**have fun lol**

CHAPTER 24

Elladan decided it would be good for him to go see Isowen in the healing wing. It was doing him no good just thinking of her from afar. He made his way toward the healing wing door and opened it slowly. He gasped as he saw Isowen bandaging Elithraniel's foot. Had his aunt been harmed? He slowly approached his mother.

" What has happened?"

Celebrian turned to her son.

" Your aunt took a nasty tumble down the stairs."

Elladan crossed his arms across his chest, much like Erestor did when he was attempting to get to the bottom of things. Then he turned to his Aunt.

" I do not believe you Aunt Elithraniel. What is really going on here?"

Elithraniel sighed and at Celebrian's nod, she turned to Elladan.

" You must keep this secret Elladan. I am faking injury so that Ada will not take me to Lorien. I also want him to see that Erestor loves me."

Elladan seemed to think on this for a moment, then grinned.

" If you truly did not want to go to Lorien, you could have just knocked Ata'da unconscious and sent him down the Bruinen."

Celebrian could hear the sarcasm in her sons voice.

" Take that grin from your face."

Elladan looked at Isowen.

"Why would you aid them in this?"

Isowen smiled.

" I want Lady Elithraniel to wed Lord Erestor." She stated simply.

Isowen finished wrapping Elithraniel's ankle as Elrond entered. Upon seeing the bandages on Elithraniel's ankle, he became immediately concerned for his law sister.

" What has happened?"

Celebrian took him aside and explain the situation. Elrond laughed.

" Did you not remember, my wife, you and I rule Imladris. We can keep her here as long as she is my Advisor."

Elithraniel crossed her arms across her chest in an Erestor-like manner once more.

" I like our plan better."

TBC...


	25. Chapter 25

**Note from LadyErestor83: this is Crackers chapter...I apologize for it being up so late...Crackers sent it to me during the weekend and I was supposed to post it yesterday...**

CHAPTER 25

Erestor's chief motive behind taking a breakfast-morsel in the garden was, quite frankly, escape. He would rather not encounter Lord Celeborn- or anyone, really, save Elithraniel- at the moment; he needed time to think. Toting a plate of flaky apple crepes and a mug of coffee, he made his way into an airy outdoor courtyard on Elrond's vast home's southern side and took a seat on a stone bench overlooking the river.

Though he could not see the waterfall from this vantage point, it,and the stream, swollen from the melting snow, could be heard rushing noisily over the rocky riverbed. Shaded from the bright morning sun by a narrow strip of pines between him and the house, even when he turned around, the voices' owners were invisible. However, they quickly became apparent.

"Excuse me, my lord?" The first was young and feminine; it alerted Erestor for he nearly thought it spoke to him- but such was not the case.

"Yes?" The reply was sharp and curt, its speaker identifiable at once: Erestor's (potential) future father-in-law.

"Lord Celeborn, my name is Isowen-" That accounts for her voice's familiarity, then, thought Erestor. "and my moth- I am one of the healers here in Lord Elrond's house. I was sent to bring you grave tidings about one of your daughters."

Erestor's heart stopped for a moment, he set his coffee-cup down numbly on the bench beside him, and he listened at rapt attention.

"What has happened?" Celeborn's answer was dyed with genuine concern.

"It is Lady Elithraniel," stated Isowen. "She had an unfortunate encounter with the stairs this morning and her ankle is broken."

The patient's lover began to breathe again: there were many worse ailments than a wounded ankle. However, Elithraniel would certainly be in a lot of pain, and disabled for quite a while. Making to abandon his breakfast as it rested, Erestor stood up and started out from behind the trees. However, he was stopped by the realization that Celeborn remained out of doors; though he would doubtless encounter the nér visiting Elithraniel, he still preferred to postpone that merry meeting as long as possible.

"Oh!" the Lord of Lórien anxiously. "Am I permitted to see her?"

"Yes, lord," was Isowen's grave reply. "I can escort you to the healers' wing, if you like," offered the maiden.

Erestor heard the sound of turning footsteps and the creaking, then shutting, of the door as it opened and closed for the healer and the Lord. As soon as it swung to, Erestor immediately emerged from his position at a run and followed them into the mansion and in the direction of the healers- and Elithraniel.

TBC...


	26. Chapter 26

**I hope this chapter suffices lol**

CHAPTER 26

Elithraniel laid on the bed with Celebrian at her side. They heard the door to the healing wing open and watched as Isowen walked in with their Ada. Celeborn was at his daughters side in an instant.

" Elithraniel, you should be more careful."

Elithraniel shrugged.

" It should not be too bad."

She slowly got up and tried to walk on her 'injured' ankle. She winced in pain and sat on the bed once more.

"I am wrong Ada. I fear it is worse than I thought."

Isowen nodded in agreement.

" She may have to stay in the healing wing for awhile my Lord."

Celeborn sighed. Elithraniel could never travel like this.

" We will wait for your injury to be healed before we leave for Lorien."

Elithraniel nodded, watching as Haldir entered for a brief moment and whispered something to Celeborn. Celeborn looked at his eldest daughter.

" Your mother wishes to see me. I will see you later on today."

Elithraniel nodded and watched as Celeborn left. Once the door was shut, she turned to Celebrian and Isowen.

" Perhaps I should have faked pregnancy."

The three elleth laughed. Their laughter was cut short, however, when Erestor entered the healing wing. He rushed to Elithraniel's side.

" Meleth nin, are you going to be alright?"

Elithraniel nodded.

" Of course Erestor nin."

He smiled at her and kissed her gently. Celebrian rolled her eyes as the kiss deepened. She turned to Isowen and whispered, " Let us give them some privacy, but if there are more sounds than kissing, we will throw water on them."

TBC...


	27. Chapter 27

**chapter 28 will be up tues/weds...**

CHAPTER 27

/Amil would kill me/ was Isowen's first thought upon following Lady Celebrían into the foyer outside Elithraniel's- and now Erestor's- chamber. Since Nenhíril's failed attempt to heal her husband after that fated skirmish nearly fifty years ago, Isowen's mother had regarded her profession with an obsessive figure of pride. Always trying to make up for what she could not do, Isowen had decided long ago.

/Which is exactly why/, she now reflected, twisting her platinum braid absently into a bun behind her head then letting it fall loose once more, /this is my hröa and fëa's last joined day./ However, such could possibly be avoided; her mother was considered a friend of Imladris' lady, was she not?

"Lady Celebrían," she began somewhat quietly, "will you... tell my mother under what circumstances I failed in my job?"

Celebrían's laugh was light and clear as she, placing a hand on Isowen's shoulder, responded, "Of course, dear." Here she paused momentarily, appearing to contemplate her next words before speaking them. "Speaking of your mother, Isowen, when did you tell me she will return?"

"I don't know," replied the healer's daughter. "Whenever she and the others have collected their quota of herbs, I suppose. I can't say I look forward to it." The final sentence was appended with a smile.

"Who could blame you?" answered Celebrían warmly. "It isn't every day that you are put in charge of the entire wing."

"You've been put in charge of the entire wing?" chimed in Elladan conversationally. "That is impressive."

"For today, yes," said Isowen, adding with a dry chuckle, "but probably not ever again."

"Once is better than never?" Celebrían answered with a wink. "And I know Elladan's mother would not put her child in charge even of a closet for a day."

The three laughed, albeit half-heartedly in the case of a blushing Elladan, and chatted for a while longer before suddenly two tall figures, clad in white, were beheld approaching the foyer's talk and open double doors.

"Amil, Atar," said Celebrían as the conversation petered out and died.

"What brings the two of you back here so soon?"

TBC...


	28. Chapter 28

**um...so, I know this is a bit late...but good news: I got sunburned lol**

CHAPTER 28

Celeborn and Galadriel looked at eachother for a moment, the returned their attention to Celebrian.

" We are trying to find Erestor," Celeborn said," But we cannot seem to find him."

Celebrian knew she could not lie to her parents.

" He went to see Elithraniel."

Celeborn glared at Galadriel and left, his wife trailing behind him. Elladan looked at his mother.

"Why does Ata'da hate Erestor?"

Even though she knew the answer, Celebrian just shrugged.

XXXXXXXX

Erestor laid his hand on Elithraniel's forehead.

" I love you."

Elithraniel smiled at him.

" I love you as well Erestor nin."

Suddenly, the door to the healing wing was thrown open. Elithraniel's eyes widened.

" Ada?"

Celeborn stood there, looking from Elithraniel to Erestor.

" I forbid this."

Elithraniel sat up and glared at her Ada.

" It is not for you to decide! I love Erestor and if you do not accept that, then I will no longer call you my Ada. To me, you will be Celeborn of Lorien and nothing more."

Celeborn stepped forward, grabbing Elithraniel and lifting her to her feet.

" That is Lord Celeborn to you, Lady Elithraniel."

Erestor's mouth dropped open and his eyes widened in shock. Had Celeborn just disowned his daughter?

TBC...


	29. Chapter 29

**note from LadyErestor: this is Crackers chapter...the next chapter should be up next week...**

CHAPTER 29

Such-and-such mason planned to build an extension onto the... For once, Imladris' master found himself losing focus already. Elrond had just sat down at his desk and was beginning to read through some contract or other when a rapping sounded at his office-door, jerking him out of the reverie he had barely slipped into.

"Come in," he called, placing the stack of papers back onto the surface of his desk and doing his best to sit up a little straighter as he rubbed his eyes. After his lateness in getting to sleep last night due to Celeborn and Galadriel's arrival, he found himself in a bit of a haze even having breakfasted and been awake over an hour.

The door silently opened, admitting a messenger looking somewhat distraught; the young ner's eyes were even more bloodshot than Elrond's.

"My lord," he said quietly, as if he had only recently regained breath long lost, "a party of Orcs approaches from the Mountains. They are not as many as they could be- no more than five hundred, as we counted them from a distance- but they still remain an enemy to be dealt with."

Elrond sighed; it was never pleasant to send men out of Imladris for war. If there was ever a good time to make an attack on a group of Orcs, however, it was now, when the Galadhrim accompanying his in-laws would enable him to send enough of his own people to ensure a swift and painless victory.

"Thank you, Morochir," he replied, rubbing his temples. "Would you mind informing Lords Erestor and Glorfindel of this as well? They will lead our forces; Glorfindel has the register of soldiers and will know whom and how many to muster."

"Yes, lord," Morochir responded, bowing his head and swiftly turning to exit the office. The ellon shut the door gently behind him, leaving Elrond with his contract once again.

TBC...


	30. Chapter 30

***shields head with arms* don't kill me..I'm sorry for the EXTREME lateness in this chapter..**

CHAPTER 30

Glorfindel readied his warriors to leave once he had heard from Morochir. He was taking along Haldir and his brothers. All of them were attempting to be certain that all were ready to make haste to leave. There was one, however, who would be joining them that had not held a sword in years.

" Erestor, are you certain of this?"

Erestor scowled at Glorfindel.

" Yes I am certain. Why would I offer aid if I was not certain? Now lets be on our way and hunt the orc."

Glorfindel nodded.

" We will drive them away and out attack will be swift." Glorfindel said with a laugh.

Erestor watched him walk away.

" It will be swift if I am allowed to pretend the orc are Lord Celeborn when I cut off their heads." Erestor mumbled to himself.

XXXXXXXX

Haldir and Glorfindel, along with Erestor, led the troops out of Imladris. They forced themselves to remain hidden for a short time before revealing themselves in the open. They could hear the orc. They were not far from them, a few yards maybe. Haldir motioned for his brothers to remain in the trees where they hid. Three of Glorfindel's warriors were slowly coming up behind the orcs. One of the three was Elladan. Elrohir was apart of Erestor's group, who would aid the Lorien brothers in archery. There was a loud sound a few moments later, indicating to Glorfindel that an orc had been struck. A violent cry pierced the air. The battle had begun.

TBC...


	31. Chapter 31

note from Lady Erestor: sorry this chapter took so long to get up...Crackers sent it to me on the first and I am just getting it up..I was out of town...also, sorry about the format thing..my document thing decided to change on me...

CHAPTER 31

An arrow whizzed past Elladan's ear, recalling him to the reality of the battle he had somehow found himself in the midst of. This was the first real affray he had ever been party to; small skirmishes he and his brother had fought in as practice, but never before had he experienced anything like this. It was terrifying. This was no trial run; there were no more easy escapes, no refuge nearby. Completely exposed, his life or death hung in unsteady balance.

Only last week he had been firing arrows into azaleas, now each dart he fired slew a creature of darkness, protected him- protected Isowen. She was the only thing giving him the courage to stand tall, the stamina to continue; as selfish as it sounded, returning a war-hero would certainly grab the maiden's attention.

Reaching into his quiver, he nocked another arrow and let it fly. It embedded itself in the chest of a grey-skinned creature barreling toward him with fire in its eyes. Nearby, he spotted his brother doing much the same: an apparently mechanical repetition of the motions necessary for accurate marksmanship.

Around him were barely to be heard the howls of the Orcs, the cries and orders of his own people, so caught up were they in the cacophony of metal on metal. Gleaming elvish blades and swift elvish arrows met jagged scimitars and cruel iron darts, or found their way past ungainly mail and stained breastplates. Even to the inexperienced Elladan, the battle appeared to be going in favour of the elves. He felt he had never been more relieved.

His own peripherals clear for a moment, he turned toward Erestor, who remained in what seemed to still be the heat of the fray, hoping that the sooner he reached him and could help in the slaughter, the sooner the battle would end. He just wanted it to be over.

As he neared Erestor, he noticed an immense Orc bearing a bloody scimitar approaching the Noldo as well. A knot forming in his stomach, he cried out, "Erestor, look out!"

The other ellon appeared not to hear him; with shaking hands and a pounding heart, now running forward, he pulled an arrow from his quiver nocked it, and hastily let it fly. Too hastily.

The dart flew wild, straight up in the air, then down again to erect itself in the dirt. Even closer now, he called again, already reaching to fire again, "Erestor! Erestor!"

The elf turned to face him.

"Look behind-"

But his warning was too late; the scimitar had found a place in Erestor's left shoulder.

TBC... 


	32. Chapter 32

is it bad if someone with OCD just sat in front of this same computer since 10am (now its 10:36am) when it didn't work? lol

CHAPTER 32

Erestor fell to the ground with a thud, barely hearing anything around him. All he knew was that he was still breathing and the orc that had done this to him was now dead beside him. Erestor felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Erestor, say something."

Erestor tried to form words to calm the upset Elladan, but he could not. The next thing he heard was Glorfindel issuing orders to some of his warriors to follow the orcs that had ran away. Elladan shook Erestor.

"You must stay conscious Erestor."

Erestor felt a hand touching his shoulder, causing him to wince, then cry out in pain.

" It is a deep wound Elladan. We must take him to your Ada at once."

XXXXXXXX

Elithraniel and Celebrian watched as the troops had returned, carrying one of the elves on a litter. Elithraniel and Celebrian looked at each other for a moment then back to where the warriors were only to see Elladan and Elrohir running toward them. Elladan looked toward the litter, then back to his aunt.

" Aunt Elithraniel, something has happened..."

" To Lord Erestor." Elrohir finished for him.

Elithraniel's eyes went wide, then filled with tears.

" Saes, tell me he is on the litter injured and not dead."

Elladan nodded slowly.

" Glorfindel says the wound is deep, but we were hurry in our return so we do not think the poison has spread much."

Elithraniel could hear one of the warriors call for Elladan and Elrohir. After they left, she turned to her sister.

" I cannot lose him Celebrian."

Celebrian embraced her sister.

"All will be well Elithraniel."

They heard footsteps coming toward them. Elithraniel groaned upon seeing Celeborn. Celebrian let go of her sister and turned to her Ada.

" Ada, not now."

Celeborn held up his hands.

"I have merely come to say I am sorry for this loss."

Elithraniel stepped toward her Ada in anger.

"What loss?"

Celeborn looked toward the healing wing, then back to his eldest daughter.

" You do not think that Erestor will overcome the poison do you? He had no business going with the warriors for he is not longer one of them but only a scribe, an advisor. He will not overcome this."

Without warning, Elithraniel stepped forward and slapped Celeborn across the face. She walked away in a huff without so much as another word, leaving Celeborn and Celebrian staring after her.

TBC... 


	33. Chapter 33

Okay here is Crackers newest chapter..

CHAPTER 33

It was not the amount of blood coating Erestor's maimed back and shoulder that caused Isowen's face to blanch, her lips to quiver, and her eyes to fill with tears. It was not on account of the idea alone that this was a grievous wound, even that the amount of blood lost could kill Lord Elrond's advisor, that she turned her back from the scene at hand and fled to her bedroom. It was who he was.

This was the elleth's second summer apprenticed to her mother and the other healers, yet this incidence was without a doubt the first time she had truly known a patient- at least a patient with an injury such as this. It was beyond frightening to think that even now Erestor was dancing with death, that his life now rested (at least in some measure) in her mother's hands.

In this moment, cast upon her bed's taupe quilts, weeping into her pillow for sheer terror, she felt a healer's job was not one for her. How was she supposed to bear that sort of responsibility? How could she possibly be the one to tell Lady Elithraniel that her lover was dead, if such became the case? Sobs wracked her body as the thoughts bombarded her mind in a lethal salvo seeming intent on shattering all her plans and dreams.

It was several minutes before she regained her composure and turned about, sitting upright rather than cast down just in time to see a shadow appear in her doorway. She rubbed her eyes even as Elladan took a hesitant step into the room.

"Isowen?" He did not wait for a reply. "Your mother wanted me-"

"Tell her I'm not coming. Tell her I can't."

"I know. Your mother told me to check on you... but I'm going to distract you, if you'd like." His words were infused with nervousness.

"How so?" Isowen answered, leaning toward him and slinging her legs onto the ground.

"We could... go out to walk, if you'd like to." He quirked his lips ever so slightly upward.

"I would."

TBC... 


	34. Chapter 34

sorry its taken me a bit to figure out my chapter..here it is...

CHAPTER 34

Elithraniel sat in the gardens. Had she truly just struck her Ada? She was in real trouble now. He would have to her return to Lorien for sure now. She rested her head on her hands, seeing Elladan and Isowen walking together. Were they courting? She did not get much time to ponder this question. Someone was calling her name.

" Elithraniel?"

Elithraniel turned to see her law brother coming toward her.

" Elrond, has something happened?"

Elrond stayed quiet for a moment, not wanting to reveal what he had come to Elithraniel for. Elithraniel waited impatiently and upon hearing nothing, growled.

"Elrond!"

Elrond sighed.

" It seems that Erestor is taking a turn for the worse. He is fading."

Elithraniel's eyes widened.

" Wait, how can he fade from injury?"

" He dies from the injury, he fades because he cannot be with you." Elrond clarified.

Elithraniel cursed her Ada. It was his fault she had been apart from Erestor. She looked at Elrond with tears in her eyes.

" Bind me to him Elrond. Bind me to Erestor."

Elrond's eyes widened.

" But your Ada will be furious."

" I care not!"

XXXXXXXX

Celebrian watched as her Ada had left the room in anger. She sat beside her husband in the healing wing looking at the forms Elithraniel and Erestor. It was done. They were now bound.

TBC...

sorry its so short... 


	35. Chapter 35

**note from ladyerestor: I have finally figured out to keep bolds and italics in the story (hopefully)..if this does not appear in BOLD, then I did not succeed lol... this is Crackers chappie...**

CHAPTER 35

Elladan had glanced up from the vibrant grass under his feet just in time to, from a distance out of earshot, see his father appear from within the house, approach Elithraniel, and take her back inside at a remarkable pace. He needed little skill in deduction to realize things could only have taken a turn for the worst.

He cast his gaze toward Isowen, feeling butterflies take wing in his stomach as the eyes of both young elves filled with tears; what could he possibly say to her? But in the end he needed no prompt of conversation.

"I don't think I ought to be a healer," Isowen murmured to a waterfall just outside the garden's fence. "I haven't the heart for it."

Elladan's butterflies suddenly succumbed to a fit of insanity. Swallowing hard, he haltingly replied, "What do you mean by that? Being a healer is wrapped up in compassion, and I know you have no shortage of that..."

She seemed to have ignored him. "Part of the job is being objective," she continued, "and I simply can't do it. I thought I could, I really did." Her voice had begun to shake, and one of those shining tears had slid down her ivory cheek.

"You'll learn," Elladan offered weakly, placing an awkward and sweaty hand on her shoulder.

"Amil says some things can't be taught or learned; one is either born with them or not. Separating compassion from the job at hand is one of those traits."

"But isn't this the first time you have ever really experienced the need to do so?" Elladan paused briefly, but there was no reply. "I mean, it isn't every day that someone you know well..." His voice grew thick with emotion and trailed off, but the unspoken omen "dies" hung darkening the air between the twosome.

"I know," Isowen answered, swallowing a sob. "But when it does, how can I prepare myself? How can I not... feel responsibility for it?"

Such words froze Elladan's tears. "Surely you do not blame yourself for Erestor; you were hardly there-" He stopped to correct himself: "He was in your mother's care."

"This time, I do not, but what about the next? What about my mother? It must take a strong conscience not to live under such a weight of guilt. I don't have it."

"If it's any comfort," said Elladan, "neither do I." And gently, hesitantly, he placed an arm around her shaking shoulders.

TBC...


	36. Chapter 36

**sorry it has taken so long for me to update...**

CHAPTER 36

Erestor stirred in his sleep, only to wake moments later. He realized he was not alone in the bed where he had slept. He looked around and instantly recognized the room. It was the healing wing. He remembered going to battle, but not his return. He shrugged it off for the time being and turned to the form beside him. It was an ellith with dark red hair, nearly black depending on how one viewed it and a dark blue dress. She looked very familiar to him. Almost exactly like...

"Elithraniel?"

Elithraniel turned to face him upon waking at the sound of her name.

"Yes Erestor?"

He looked at her in confusion.

"What has happened?"

Elithraniel swallowed hard, hoping Erestor would not hate her.

"When you were brought here after the battle, you were dying and fading all at once. I wanted to save you meleth nin and I did. I told Elrond to bind me to you and..."

"We are bound?!"Erestor asked, a little louder than he had originally intended, "Your Ada will kill me for certain now."

Elithraniel shook her head.

"He knows what I have done and he knows now that I will not return to Lorien with him. He knows my heart and he knows that I love you Erestor. If you would have faded, I would have followed you to Mando's Halls, and had you died, I would have died with you."

Erestor took Elithraniel into his arms.

"I have always loved you."

XXXXXXXX

Galadriel watched as Celeborn threw a vase across the room.

"How dare she defy me?!"

Galadriel shook her head.

"It is your own fault Celeborn. She defies you for her love of Erestor and that is only because you refuse to accept it."

Celeborn turned to his wife, anger blazing in his eyes.

"You would take her side?"

Galadriel stood, patting her husband's shoulder.

"Elithraniel deserves her mate, just as Celebrian did and when you realize this, it may be too late."

Galadriel left their rooms. Celeborn glared at the door. Was his own wife against him now as well?

TBC...


	37. Chapter 37

**note from LadyErestor: the next chapter from this fic will not be up until Tuesday or Wednesday of next week...friday, I'm off to see The Hobbit lol**

**On with Crackers chappie...**

CHAPTER 37

By the time Isowen realized that there was an arm across her shoulders, it was being removed with all the force of a whirlwind, prompting loose wisps of hair into motion in the wake of its flight. Isowen glanced up, rubbing watery eyes and blinking furiously to keep the tears at bay; greeting her eyes was the reason for the arm's departure.

But a few feet from Elladan- and scarcely more from Isowen- stood Galadriel, clad (as usual) in white, but the Lady's typically ramrod-straight posture was now even more rigid than was its wont. In anger? wondered a fleeting thought of the healer's daughter. The ancient elleth certainly seemed to exude the emotion.

"Hello, Amilinya.*" Elladan's voice was pathetically feeble.

"Greetings, my lady," managed Isowen.

"Greetings to the both of you," answered Galadriel, cobalt eyes slowly probing each of their faces. "May I ask as to what prompts you to-" She paused; a spark of realization ignited in that same gaze. A laugh, light and brief, followed it. "I see."

Conversations like this, Isowen noted, must be what gains her such a reputation for aloofness. The Lady seemed to be talking half to herself; her condescending tone dripped with the pride she was famous for.

"I come bearing good tidings, then," Galadriel continued. "Erestor lives, and not only that, has been bound to Elithraniel."

Elladan's eyebrows raced up his countenance; Isowen gasped. Soon, they were both grinning somewhat foolishly, chuckling as they brushed their tears away.

"That's wonderful," Elladan replied, after several moments of silent recovery. "I suppose everything has been reconciled with Grandfather, then. How ridiculous that it took something such as this to-" He stopped himself short as Galadriel began to smile sadly, shaking her head.

"No," she stated flatly, "they wedded without his permission, and that, I fear, has only served to worsen matters. They have my full consent, but Lord Celeborn remains as stubborn as ever."

Isowen wanted to inquire further, but her tongue clung adamantly to the roof of her mouth. Galadriel's entire demeanour intimidated her terribly; she felt any word she said to the Lady would be judged harshly, viewed by that prideful mind as lowly and inadequate.

Elladan spoke the question lingering in the back of her throat. "How were they bound in... his condition? Or has he improved enough to speak vows and all a wedding entails?"

Galadriel laughed softly. "Nay, he was not conscious for the ceremony. But to be bound to Elithraniel was the only way to save him; it took the melding of their fëa to bring him the necessary healing."

"Does Grandf-" Elladan attempted.

"Yes, Lord Celeborn was informed of the circumstances surrounding their wedding." The Lady turned her golden head to glance quickly at a tall figure emerging into the garden. "But I have faith that he will see reason."

TBC...


	38. Chapter 38

**sorry sorry...this chapter took a little longer than intended...**

CHAPTER 38

Celeborn did not move from his standing place in the gardens. Galadriel thought he would see reason? He shook his head. He would not allow the binding to remain. He would find a way to unbind his daughter from that Advisor. He began to walk back toward the house, searching for Elrond. His search came up empty and instead he found himself walking toward the healing wing. He opened the doors and saw his daughter sitting there beside the sleeping Erestor. Elithraniel glowered at her father.

"May I assist you Lord Celeborn?"

Celeborn stepped closer.

"Yes, Lady Elithraniel, you may. First, why was I not notified that you were bound?"

"You would have forbad it. I would not let Erestor die."Elithraniel spat.

Celeborn growled.

"He is not worth saving Elithraniel. Do you not know what he is? What he has done?"

Elithraniel rolled her eyes.

"Tell me no tales. I am not an elfling."

Celeborn watched as Erestor woke, knowing he had heard them. Erestor turned to Celeborn with a pleading look in his eyes.

"Do not tell her Lord Celeborn, I beg of you."

Elithraniel turned to Erestor, wondering now what his secret was.

"Erestor, what is it?"

Erestor did not get the chance to respond. Celeborn did it for him.

"He was a kinslayer, Elithraniel. Only cleared of that title after Elrond took him in."

Elithraniel was in shock. Why had she never heard this before?

TBC...

**yes I know...Erestor is so NOT a kinslayer...**


	39. Chapter 39

**another Crackers chappie lol**

CHAPTER 39

Galadriel's husband had left the garden nearly as quickly as he had entered it, incensed, perhaps, by her optimistic words to the two younger elves. A shadow crossed even her guarded features as Ages of marriage and a skill for intuition told her what Celeborn's new object was. Perhaps he could not sever Erestor and Elithraniel's bound fëar, but he could certainly stretch their union to its limits by bringing up ancient feuds.

"Perhaps he has decided even now to reconcile with them." Elladan's voice cut its way through the tangle of Galadriel's swift thoughts. The young ellon had clearly made note of his grandfather's presence.

"That I doubt," the Lady darkly murmured. For an instant, she considered divulging what exactly comprised Celeborn's new ammunition.

"But...what can he do now? They are already wed; he can be angry-and tell them he is, I suppose, but isn't all of this now out of his hands?" Elladan's queries were surprisingly bold. He was making up, Galadriel presumed, for Isowen's nervous silence; it would hardly do to look fearful in front of the maiden.

"He can only vent," Galadriel answered slowly, "but still let us hope his words are impotent." It was best to bind history within books, she had decided. Differentiating between past and present was difficult enough for the Eldar without passing old rifts down to the younger generations.

"I suppose I must take my leave of you," she continued. "Perhaps I can undo whatever damage has occurred." She ran piercing eyes across the twosome's faces. "Until later."

"Farewell," chorused Elladan and Isowen; Galadriel had already turned around, advancing with noiseless feet over the green carpet of the grass. The glass set of doors had been left open and were swinging in a soft breeze. Galadriel shut them behind her and made her quick way down the sunlit halls to the healers' wing.

She heard her daughter's tear-choked voice before even reaching the room that currently housed Erestor. "Ada, surely not! How could you lie-"

The interrupting response was inaudible from this distance, but the Lady of Lórien increased her pace. She heard little else intelligible until she reached the doorway, peering in from an advantageous angle to see Elithraniel on her knees beside Erestor's bed. The dark-haired elleth clutched her lover's-husband's, Galadriel corrected the thought-hand; her head was bowed over it as she wept.

"I am sorry, meleth nîn; I am sorry." Erestor's voice trembled dangerously.

Celeborn towered over the couple, arms crossed and countenance vacant.

"Celeborn." Galadriel stepped into the doorway. "What have you done, my lord?"

TBC...


	40. Chapter 40

***dodges flying objects* I am so sorry...please do not kill me...its been a bit busy in my life...okay so, lets see if I can make amends...**

CHAPTER 40

Celeborn turned to face his wife as Elithraniel wept and Erestor attempted to console her. He knew he could not talk his way out, but his face wore a mask of no emotion.

"I have spoken a truth she needed to hear."

Galadriel shook her head, knowing that Erestor would have spoken the truth to Elithraniel if given the time. in her heart she knew her husband still doubted the love between their daughter and Elrond's Chief Advisor.

"Come with me my Lord. Leave them in peace."

Celeborn simply nodded and followed his wife out of the room. The damage had been done and could not be undone. His daughter now knew who Erestor really was. He was not just another elf, he was one who had slain his own people. Celeborn stopped as he watched Galadriel open the door to their bed chamber.

"Galadriel, what..."

Galadriel pulled her husband toward her and kissed him softly.

"We will discuss this here."

Celeborn followed her inside, confused. Why would his wife kiss him if she meant to scold him? She sat on the divan and motioned for him to sit beside her. Once he seemed comfortable enough, she turned and glared at him.

"Why have you done this Celeborn? Can you not see that they are happy?"

Celeborn scoffed.

"Happy?! You see them as happy?! How long was it before they were wed Galadriel?! If he had not been injured, would they have wed at all?!"

Galadriel opened her mouth to say something, then shut it. As much as she did not want to admit it, Celeborn did have a point. There was no absolute answer on whether Elithraniel and Erestor would have wed had Erestor not been injured. Celeborn knew he had won this argument, but did not want to upset his wife further. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her forehead.

"It had to be done."

TBC...


	41. Chapter 41

**Crackers latest chappie :)**

CHAPTER 41

"It just doesn't seem to end, does it?" sighed Isowen, casting melancholy eyes back toward the healers' wing behind her.

"No," Elladan agreed, shaking his head ruminatively. "I suppose my grandfather is even less willing to accept things now that they're out of his control. Bitter, I guess." He attempted a wry smile.

Isowen emitted a dry chuckle. "And your grandm- Lady Galadriel, I mean, is probably the only one who has a chance at changing his mind, from what I've seen."

"If even she." Elladan stared morosely at the emerald grass between his toes. Conversation ceased, and on an unspoken consensus the pair began to walk once more.

Anor had by now ascended to her highest throne, tossing down bright rays to play among the mists and waterfalls of Imladris. Isowen and Elladan paced the courtyard silent for several minutes, though when Elladan hazarded a glance down, he noticed their fingers had intertwined. He swallowed hard, praying to Elbereth and all the Valar that the elleth could not hear the pounding of his heart.

"Well, lovebirds, I've brought your noon meal."

Isowen's face turned an alarming shade of crimson; Elladan felt he rise to his own. They both whirled around to find Elrohir bearing a tray of fruit and bread. To his twin's stern yet quizzical expression he answered, "Mother said I would find you two here. Probably hungry, too."

"As a matter of fact, I am," replied Elladan warily. "What about you, Isowen?"

"I could do with something to eat."

"Well, what are we waiting for, then?" And with that the three young elves seated themselves on the grass, placing the tray between them.

"I suppose you've heard most of the events surrounding Elithraniel and Erestor," remarked Elladan to his brother.

"Better than you have, I imagine," was the response. Elrohir sank his teeth into a sound apple, continuing with his mouth full, "And from what else I've heard, no one is any closer to a solution."

Isowen shook her head sadly. "It's such a shame... Whether Lord Celeborn approves of Erestor or not, they're family now; what good does he imagine anger and resentment will accomplish?"

"I can't claim to know," replied Elladan. "I only wish there were something we could do."

His companions nodded their agreement; dissension in Imladris did not sit well with the three adolescents. When one has grown up in such a culture of peace, he or she finds discord painful, whether directly involved or not.

Elrohir tapped his fingers pensively on the ground, thoughts swarming, tripping, tumbling around one another. He took another bite of his apple, and thought. "Something we could do..."

"Such as?" Elladan met his brother's gaze.

"I was only thinking that a pair of young lovers such as yourselves might come in handy."

TBC...


	42. Chapter 42

**sorry for the lateness of this chapter...apparently turning 30 makes you feel old too lol...this is an Erestor chapter, in honor of my Erestor rose tree called twilight zone...yet it is purple...go figure...long story lol...also, some Elithraniel...**

CHAPTER 42

Erestor laid on his bed in the halls of healing. Elithraniel had gone to find her sister, in hopes that they together could talk to Celeborn. He sighed. He would have told Elithraniel the truth about himself one day, but Lord Celeborn had beaten him to it. He stared at the ceiling as though it interested him somehow. Was any of it fair? Lord Celeborn's demand for Elithraniel to return to Lorien, the fight between them that now had a daughter referring to her Ada by title, or their binding. Erestor fought the tears that began to sting his eyes. Had he been wrong to keep her in Imladris for the time they were courting? Should he have allowed her to return to Lorien instead of being selfish and keeping her for himself? He swallowed hard. He should have let her go, but her presence kept him alive. He heard a light russling of skirts, which told him he was no longer alone.

"Erestor?"

He forced himself to turn his head and smile at her, not wanting her to see the look of loathing of himself in his eyes. He watched as she approached his bedside.

"Were you able to find Lady Celebrian?"

Elithraniel shook her head.

"She must be with Lord Elrond."

Erestor nodded in agreement. He knew she could tell that something was amiss with him by the way she was looking at him. It was a look of concern that showed on her features as she sat on the bed.

"What troubles you?"

Erestor simply shook his head.

"It is nothing to worry about meleth. I am only tired."

Elithraniel watched as Erestor turned slightly and his eyes glazed in reverie. She watched him sleep for a moment as she wondered what was wrong with her beloved. She held his hand in hers. He would tell her when the time was right.

TBC...

**(sorry if it is a bit depressing)**


	43. Chapter 43

**note from LadyErestor: sorry to do this on Crackers chapter, but with things being a bit busy these days, it might be a couple weeks before my chapter comes...I apologize...remember, I said 'might'..**

CHAPTER 43

Elladan and Isowen had feebly objected to their new title of "lovers," but their protests had, of course, availed nothing against the (arguably) devilish schemes of Elrohir. As Celeborn was about to find out.

"Well, I suppose it could do no harm," said Galadriel, giving a slight shrug. She ran her cobalt gaze over the three young elven faces before her. "It is a kind gesture on your part even to try."

Elrohir grinned. "And hopefully it will be a successful one, too."

Galadriel merely nodded, forcing a smile to curve her lips. "He is in our bed-chamber." She indicated further down the sunlit hallway. "Best of luck, mellyn."

With that, the three set off down the hall, rehearsing as they went.

"So," said Elladan rather slowly, "I walk in and tell him that I have some exciting news..."

"And then inform him that you and Isowen are courting," finished his twin nonchalantly.

"But we aren't-" the other two chorused, blushing.

Elrohir ignored them. "And hopefully he'll congratulate you, and you two or I will hopefully turn the conversation to he and Grandmother's relationship, and then hopefully things will twist back around to Elithraniel and Erestor, and he'll be persuaded."

"That's a lot of hoping," remarked Isowen, but her eyes were shining. "But it's as Lady Galadriel said, it means something that we even try."

"Exactly," Elladan replied.

The threesome kept silent for the remaining steps, and soon found themselves outside Lord Celeborn's door. It was open, surprisingly, and they were quick to line themselves up along the wall beside it, Elrohir in the lead. Cautiously, he peered around the argent doorframe. There stood Celeborn beside the canopied bed; he turned toward the door just before Elrohir could evade his gaze.

"Elrohir?" came the Sinda's weary voice.

"Lucky guess," teased his grandson. "But Elladan and our friend Isowen are here, too. May we come in?"

Celeborn sighed. "I suppose so." He beckoned lethargically as the other two young elves emerged into the doorway. They followed Elrohir to stand perhaps two feet from the Lord of the Lorien.

"May I inquire as to the reason for your visit?" Celeborn quirked a silver eyebrow, but his voice still bored the exhaustion of falling leaves.

Elladan cleared his throat. "I, ah, just wanted to share the exciting news that Isowen here and I are, in fact, um..." The knot in his stomach kept the word from leaving the tip of his tongue.

"Courting." Isowen spoke up with a radiant smile.

"That's wonderful," answered Celeborn apathetically. "I congratulate you both."

"Thank you, Grandfather," said Elladan. He swallowed hard before adding, "I'm glad to hear we have your approval."

For a second's fraction, fire awoke in Celeborn's eyes, but the spark was doused almost instantly by his grandson's apparent innocence. "Yes," he replied tamely, "you two suit each other well."

Elrohir saw his moment, snatched it ere it could escape him. "Did people say the same of you and Grandmother?" He winced, crossed his fingers, then held his breath.

TBC...


	44. Chapter 44

**this will be the last chapter posted for three weeks...because I**

**(LadyErestor83) will be out of town and nowhere near a computer to**

**put up the chapters...this chapter is what i like to call the 'Celeborn**

**self-loathing chapter'…it had to happen eventually...**

CHAPTER 44

Celeborn sat alone after speaking with the twins and Isowen. He had

answered Elrohir's question and now was deep in thought. Yes, most

thought that he and Galadriel had been suited for one another, but that was not what troubled him. He knew that this courting business with Elladan and Isowen had been told to him only because of the binding of Elithraniel and Erestor. He did not know how the two were linked, but he would not dwell upon it. He thought of his daughter and how he may have broken her heart with his feelings toward Erestor. Celeborn put his face in his hands. What was it about Erestor that truly upset him? Was it that he had been a kinslayer? or perhaps because of his station? Celeborn nearly chuckled. Why would his daughter love an Advisor? Celeborn stood and walked to the window. He and Galadriel had been so different, but fell in love, wed, and eventually had children. It finally occurred to him that perhaps this was the same with his eldest daughter and Elrond's Chief Advisor. He lowered his head. How could he have been so stupid, so foolish? He stepped away from the window, suddenly feeling sadness enter him. He had never thought of Elithraniel's heart, only of Erestor's past. Celeborn felt selfish for wanting to keep them apart. All he had ever wanted was for his daughters to be happy. He had allowed Elrond to wed Celebrian, but had not allowed the marriage of Elithraniel to Erestor. Maybe that was also what bothered him. He slunk on to the divan. They could not have asked him. Erestor had lain dying and Elrond bound Elithraniel to him. There had been no time. Celeborn sighed. He had to gain forgiveness from his eldest daughter and his new law son,

but the only question was: how?

TBC...

(sorry if it is short...)


	45. Chapter 45

**here we go again...**

CHAPTER 45

"Didn't /that/ go splendidly?"

Catching the sarcasm in his son's voice, Elrond's heart dropped like a rock to his stomach. The youth's words had floated into the healing room as an apparent trio passed by. The Master of Imladris had of course only overheard, but the fact that the words' context mystified him made him only the more concerned. /The last time Elrohir had called an operation "splendid".../

"Excuse me just a moment," he called to Erestor and Elithraniel, neither of whom appeared to regard his departure. All but darting out into the sunlit corridor, he raised his voice after his sons' retreating footsteps. "Elladan, Elrohir!"

The pair- and their female companion, Elrond noted with amusement- stopped dead in their tracks and turned slowly to face him, several paces ahead.

"Why yes, Father?" Elrohir's "innocent" grin couldn't have fooled a blind troll.

"I was merely curious as to your afternoon activities..." Elrond attempted nonchalance, failing miserably.

Both twins paled, and Isowen commenced an intense study of her shuffling feet.

"I promise we were only trying to help, Father!" Elladan all but gushed. "We didn't know Grandf- I mean, Lord Celeborn, would revert to monologues-"

"Monosyllables," corrected Isowen quietly, a smile infecting her tone.

"Like I said, monosyllables," continued Elladan, blushing, "and then grow all sullen and brooding..." "...and walk us to the door and say 'Namárië' sounding like he wanted to flay us alive, then slam the door on us."

Elrond's eyes had widened to the span of Lake Evendim by the time Isowen chirped, "We're sorry, my lord..."

A few tense moments passed as Elrond straightened his lips into an emotionless line and surveyed the three young faces before him.

"We really didn't mean to do any-" started Elladan, but at that moment Elrond's laughter could be contained no more. It burst out like a swollen river from a crumbling stone dam, loud and clear and unflagging.

The three young elves, however, weren't quite so amused. They chuckled nervously among themselves for the duration of Elrond's mirth. When (after a far briefer time than they imagined) he composed himself, he said at last, "No, no. You've done well, I suppose, as well as you might. Yet-" Here he winced. "-may I ask what it is you said to Celeborn?"

Elladan and Isowen turned several shades of crimson. Elrohir grinned brashly. Elrond's silver gaze darted to and fro among the threesome. He opened his lips again. "What was it?" he inquired once more.

Yet the youths would never reply, though at that moment their lips parted. Pointing behind Elrond with a limp hand, Elladan stuttered, "I suppose you might have to ask him about it."

Elrond whirled around just in time to see the blur of his father-in-law's argent robes disappear into the healing room. Here he winced.

TBC...


	46. Chapter 46

**wow...I actually did not take an eternity this time...if it is too short, I apologize ahead of time...**

CHAPTER 46

Celeborn surveyed the elves in front of him. His grandsons and Isowen stood there with Elrond, who he could plainly see had winced at his arrival. Elrond shuffled a bit under the stare of Celeborn, becoming a bit more nervous as he wondered what news his sons had shared. Celeborn took a step forward, half expecting Elrond to step back from him. Elrond remained where he was.

"What did they tell you?"

Celeborn gestured to Elladan and Isowen.

"Apparently, they are courting."He said flatly.

Elrond's eyes widened at this news and he turned to face his eldest son.

"Elladan, is it true?"

Elladan's face turned even redder that it had before. Elrond stepped forward and hugged his son.

"I am happy for you ion-nin."

Celeborn said nothing further and left. He decided he needed to walk around a bit to clear his head. Moments later, he found himself at the doors of the healing wing. He knew who was behind those doors. His eldest daughter and her new-, Celeborn nearly shuddered at the word, husband. He knew he had to make his amends with them, regardless of whether he approved of their binding or not. Taking a deep breath, he composed himself and stepped inside.

TBC...


	47. Chapter 47

**here's the next chappie! :)**

CHAPTER 47

Erestor fidgeted idly with his wife's hand, rubbing his fingers in circles on Elithraniel's palm as they sat in silence. His regrets still pursued one another through his mind, a swarm of vengeful hornets, not easily to be appeased. /My love for her has rent this family asunder... Perhaps Celeborn is within his rights... If only I had been less bold, if only-/

"Erestor, Elithraniel?" It was a deep voice, but quiet, controlled, even melancholy.

Erestor glanced up to find his wife's face livid, blanched by silent, icy, profound fury. Another turn of his head revealed a sight that made him blink twice and set a knot forming in his stomach. There stood Celeborn before the couple. /Returned to drag up more old secrets?/ Erestor mused sardonically. /Or only to insult me?/

"What do you desire from us, Lord Celeborn?" Elithraniel demanded tensely. Each word was crisp, intentional, laced with frost.

Erestor warily studied his father-in-law in the several seconds it took the Sinda to sigh deeply, contort his lips, and at last speak up. If he did not know better, the Noldo would have read defeat, even remorse, in Celeborn's bowed head, stooped shoulders, and downcast eyes. But /Celeborn/? He seemed incapable of such humility.

Celeborn's gaze flitted somewhat uncomfortably between the faces of his daughter and son-in-law. He cleared his throat quiety and, in that same calm, repressed voice, said, "I know I am not welcome here." He took a deep breath. "Neither do I have any right to be-"

"Then, being possessed of this knowledge, why are you here?" Elithraniel retorted fiercely.

"To say just that," answered Celeborn, "that I have no right to speak here, for I have wronged you both in my pride and bitterness. I see now the ignorance of my childish actions, and I apologize; from the depths of my fea, I apologize. I know it is much to ask, but I seek only one thing of you-" He paused, biting his lip, imploring the faces of the newlyweds for any sign of acceptance. "-forgiveness."

TBC...


	48. Chapter 48

**note from LadyErestor83: this fic will end at 50 :)**

CHAPTER 48

Elithraniel looked at her Ada, not believing the word she had just heard come out of his mouth.

" Forgiveness?"

Celeborn nodded, knowing that her forgiveness nor Erestor's would be freely given. Erestor looked from daughter to father and hoped it would not turn into a yelling match, for he was sure his wife would win. Elithraniel glared at Celeborn.

" You seek our forgiveness? Do you expect that either of us should do so?"

Celeborn shook his head.

" No iel nin, I do not."

Elithraniel's eyes narrowed.

" Now I am your daughter once more? I thought I was no longer your child."

Erestor had enough.

" That is enough bickering!"

Two sets of eyes settled on Erestor, who began to wish he had not spoken. Elithraniel shook her head.

" Please tell me you do not forgive him for all he has done. He tried to keep us from each other Erestor."

Erestor sighed.

" It is true, but he did it out of love for his daughter. He did not want to see you pained."

He turned to Celeborn, smiling slightly.

" I forgive you my lord."

Elithraniel could not believe what she was hearing. Her husband forgave her father? Even after naming him 'kinslayer' to her? She became very angry and without another word she left the room, slamming the door behind her. Celeborn shook his head slightly.

" I do not believe she ever will."

Erestor looked at the door.

" Give her time my lord. She will see that all you have done was to prevent her from being hurt."

Celeborn sighed, sitting in a nearby chair.

" I hope you are right Erestor. I hope you are right."

TBC...


	49. Chapter 49

***sounds a trumpet* At long last, here it is: Chappy 49 (in all its... glory ;P)!**

CHAPTER 49

The violent slam of the door jarred Elrohir to the very bone, jolted him a step backward as his aunt exited the healing room. Elithraniel's stiff posture and curt huffs of breath exuded indignance and irritation. The three youths had heard the entire (if brief) exchange between Celeborn and the newlyweds from their position with Elrond outside the door. At the moment, Elrohir's eyes flitted imploringly toward his father as Elithraniel attempted to rush past them. Elrond, however, extended a gentle hand toward Elithraniel, resting his fingers lightly on her arm to halt her.  
>"Elithraniel-" he began.<p>

"What is it, Elrond?" Her tone was polite, though far from courteous. "As you may observe, I am just taking my leave from here."

"Yes." He smiled almost sadly. "Yes, I can see that clearly. I will say little but this: Forgiveness is like shoeing a horse. It is unnatural- yet it is best for beast and rider alike. It is difficult- yet without it one can hardly move forward."

Elrohir cringed to hear his father speak so boldly. Though after his and his companions' visit to the Lord of Lórien, Celeborn had finally found it in his heart to apologize, Elrohir was neither convinced the two events were connected, nor that said apology had done much good. It was best, he decided, fidgeting with a hangnail, not to interfere with all of this.

Elithraniel's response only seconded his mental motion. "What do you know of forgive-" She broke off suddenly, pursed her lips, and bowed her head briefly. Elrond's melancholy smile lingered. "I am sorry," she said simply, then passed on, her footsteps silent on the oak floor.

Elrond shifted forward in something like a move to follow his sister-in-law down the hallway but appeared to think better of it, and stopped himself. He turned instead in the opposite direction, addressing his sons before walking away, "I had best tell your mother of the latest... developments."

"Oh yes," replied Elladan, "she'll certainly be curious."

Elrond nodded and turned fully, disappearing into the shadow at a bend in the corridor. The three young elves stood in silence for several moments, glancing uncertainly between the closed door of the healing rooms and the divergent paths of Elithraniel and Elrond, recently departed.

At last, Isowen spoke up shyly. "Why-" she stammered, contorting her lips in a strange, nervous way, "-did Elithraniel apologize to your father? Why... What did she remember about him and forgiveness?"

Elrohir frowned. He had always assumed that his father's past was common knowledge; after all, such tales of the Elder Days were frequently the matter of song and tale in the Hall of Fire. Perhaps Isowen never ventured that way...?

Elladan, however, beat his brother to an explanation. "You know that our father is the son of Eärendil," he said simply; Isowen nodded. "After the Kinslaying at Sirion, there was practically no one who had not wronged him."

Isowen nodded once again. It appeared she had learned at least a bit of her history. "Yet he was able to forgive, mend the relationships he needed to?"

"He was," Elrohir chimed in. "That doesn't seem to mean the pain left, but it did mean he was able to move on and do what he needed to."

Isowen ran a hand over her silver braid. "Perhaps if Elithraniel considers that, she will be able to forgive Lord Celeborn."

"I'm certain she will," said Elladan with confidence. A smile suddenly writhed on his lips. "If we keep standing here to eavesdrop, maybe she'll come back soon?"

Elrohir snorted. "I doubt that; she can be rather stubborn-" He inclined his head toward Isowen. "-as you've learned."

Isowen smiled. "But if Erestor is willing... Perhaps she can be persuaded?"

"Perhaps," returned Elladan, and he placed a hand on Isowen's shoulder. "We've only to wait and see."

TBC...


	50. Chapter 50

**well, today marks the final chapter of this story...both Crackers and I would like to thank all of you for reading our fic and we would also like to thank all of you for the great reviews you have given :) maybe someday in the future we might pair up again...I can hope right? okay, this chapter is set much later...**

CHAPTER 50

Erestor sat in the gardens watching the elflings play. Many years had gone by since the day that Celeborn had asked for the forgiveness of him and Elithraniel. She had given it many years later when she had been nearly killed by orcs on a voyage to Lorien with Celebrian. Celebrian had sailed due to her attack, but Elithraniel had remained in Imladris. Elladan and Isowen had wed two days before Celebrian had sailed. Erestor smiled as one elfling had stolen a ball from the other and watched them chase one another. One of the elflings belonged to Elladan and Isowen. They had named her Eriathwen and she had been born the same day as the elfling she played with. Her name was Rhavaniel. Rhavaniel was Erestor and Elithraniel's daughter, who preferred the library with her ada instead of the music hall with her naneth. Erestor was so caught up in watching the elflings play that he did not hear his wife sneak up behind him.

" You should join them meleth."

Erestor jumped slightly, then turned to his wife with a smile.

" You want me to steal a ball from the elflings?"

Elithraniel sat beside him, a smile playing upon her features.

" No. I want you to have fun."

Erestor rolled his eyes, something he only did once in a great while.

" I do have fun."

Elithraniel looked at him, arching an eyebrow.

" Doing what?"

Erestor smirked.

" There are elflings present."

Elithraniel blushed a beautiful shade of crimson, then giggled. She turned away from her husband just in time to see her daughter run up to her.

" Eriathwen has the ball naneth."

Elithraniel nodded.

" Have you asked her for it back?"

Rhavaniel nodded.

" Yes and she said I have to chase her."

Elithraniel arched an eyebrow, causing Rhavaniel to laugh.

" Do not do that naneth. You look like Uncle Elrond."

Erestor tried to hold in his laughter, but to no avail. He burst out laughing, not even stopping when his wife laid a playful slap on his arm. Elithraniel returned her attention to their daughter.

" Then you must chase her for it, I suppose."

Rhavaniel nodded and went to chase Eriathwen. Elithraniel turned to her husband.

" Did I truly look like Elrond?"

Erestor chuckled, then nodded.

" A bit, yes."

Elithraniel rolled her eyes, then leaned against her husband. Erestor smiled. He would love her forever, no matter what stood in his way. Father-in-laws, brother-in-laws, or anyone else. They would be together forever, all the way to Valinor and even beyond then.

~*THE END*~


End file.
